


Farewell My Love

by Klance_hell



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blood, Gen, Gore, Graphic Description, M/M, Sorry Not Sorry, Sword wounds, Unhappy Ending, inspired by a song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 20:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11388201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klance_hell/pseuds/Klance_hell
Summary: Keith and Lance are sent on what is supposed to be a simple mission, but what happens when that mission turns out to be a lot more dangerous than previously thought?





	Farewell My Love

_If I had wings like Noah's dove_

_I'd fly the river to the one I love_

_Well fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well_

 

Keith’s arms ached as his sword clashed against yet another enemy weapon. With a grunt, he pushed the Galra soldier off balance and ran it through. The soldier collapsed to the ground as Keith pulled his sword out. Keith heard the sound of Lance’s Bayard firing shot after shot somewhere close by and the thud of bodies hitting the soggy ground. Rain tapped against Keith’s face like a constant reminder that it was there. Still. It hadn’t shown any signs of stopping since they had landed.

Since Hunk and Pidge were both busy helping Coran, Shiro had insisted that Keith and Lance do it alone. After all, the mission only required a little bit of recon work and according to Coran, there was very little Galra activity. At the time it seemed simple enough. Now the simple mission seemed to be turning into never ending combat. Keith wouldn’t be surprised if they single-handedly wiped out the entire Galra army here. How had Team Voltron miscalculated so badly?

“Keith! To your left!” Lance called out suddenly and Keith had to act fast to avoid having a sword wedged in his kidney. Nevertheless, the sword still drew blood as it dragged along his side. He hissed in pain and whirled to kick the foot soldier away.

“Thanks!” He called over his shoulder. There was a wet slapping sound as another enemy fell into the mud.

When they first landed on the planet they noticed immediately that Coran had forgotten to warn them about the planet’s climate, which seemed to only consist of constant and intense heat. There was zero relief from the warm mugginess of the planet, despite the cool rain that fell, and, in an act of true stupidity, Lance and Keith had removed their armor in a desperate attempt to cool down. That was when the Galra had attacked.

Suddenly Keith’s boots slipped in the mud and he was falling. The enemy he had been fighting raised its sword to slash down on his head. _What a clumsy way to die._ Keith thought bitterly.

 

_I knew a man who was long and tall_

_Who moved his body like a cannon ball_

_Well fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well_

 

“Keith!” Lance cried. Panic evident in his voice. Keith wanted to reassure Lance that he was ok, but he was too busy trying to free his weapon from the slippery mud. Suddenly Lance was there standing above him. His gun aimed at the soldier.

“No!” Keith bellowed as the soldier brought his sword down on top of the Blue Paladin. It cut through the soft flesh at the base of his neck, lurching as it sliced through muscle and hit bone. The sound Lance made was not a sound Keith would forget anytime soon. It was not merely a yell, no, this was a howl of nothing but pure pain. There was a flash as somehow Lance managed to fire off his gun. The sword made a sucking sound as it was pulled from Lance’s flesh and he cried out again as he toppled to the ground.

The soldier grunted in pain and fell to one knee. It didn’t have a fatal wound but it was enough to cause the soldier to hesitate a moment. That gave Keith enough time to lurch to his feet and decapitate it. The Galra’s head splattered mud on his boots as it landed. He looked at Lance lying motionless in the mud. Blood already beginning to drip to the ground.

 

_ Remember one evening, in the drizzlin' rain _

_ And around my heart I felt an achin' pain _

_ Well fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well _

 

Sounds muffled themselves as Keith’s world faded to gray. He knew he should be scared, upset or maybe even cry, but nothing came as his emotions buried themselves deep within his mind. Thing’s didn’t feel real, like he was in a horrible and twisted dream, just waiting to wake up. He stared down at Lance’s pained expression. Blood mixing with the mud on his face, and the rain doing a poor job to wash it away.  _ Lance would hate being so dirty. _ Keith thought dimly. The ringing in his ears began to lesson and he could hear the approaching footsteps of more Galra. Rage began to bubble up inside him like a pot of water starting to boil. It was a deep, cold rage that latched onto his heart and pumped ice into his veins. With a yell he charged at the remaining Galra, sword raised. He reached the first one, ducked under its sword and sliced through its torso. The soldier fell to the ground, bleeding out as its top half tried to stay attached to the bottom.

Keith slashed, dodged and hacked away at the remaining Galra until there was nothing left but him and the pouring rain. His body trembled as he gasped for air. He wanted nothing more than to fall his knees in the mud and let the exhaustion he felt take over. But he couldn’t. He had to make sure Lance was taken care of.

Clutching his bleeding side Keith stumbled over to where their armor still lay untouched in two neat piles, he grabbed his helmet and put it on. 

“Shiro. It’s Keith. We need to be picked up immediately. Lance is hurt and it's bad.” He was surprised at how calm his voice sounded. Like he was reporting the news instead of announcing that his teammate was probably dying. He removed the helmet and set it down.

Next, he staggered towards Lance’s still form. The paladin still hadn’t budged from his position on the ground where he had fallen.

“Lance! Lance!” Keith could feel his calm coating start to crack and flake off as he gently tapped the Blue Paladin’s face in an attempt to wake him. He yanked off his sweat-soaked shirt. He would have liked to have something a little cleaner to stem the bleeding at Lance’s throat, but this would have to work. He just hoped Shiro came before an infection did. When he pressed the shirt against the wound Lance jerked in pain. His eyelids began to flutter as he tried to wake up. 

“Ple..ase.. don’t,” Lance begged weakly. He pushed at Keith’s hand, but he might as well have been pushing against a wall.

“Just let me help, dumbass.” Keith snapped. Lance raised one shaky hand, filthy with blood and mud to brush away something on Keith’s cheek. Though it probably just smeared more filth onto his face. Lance’s eyes softened.

“Don’t cry Mullet Head,” Lance said. His voice strained. Keith wiped his eyes on his shoulders embarrassed.

“I’m not crying you ass. It’s the rain. It’s getting in my eyes.” Lance started to laugh but it ended in a coughing fit that made him groan and try curling up on himself.

“I wish I could’ve seen earth on last time.” Lance panted. “Told my family I loved them.” Tears made tracks on Lance’s cheeks.

“Stop it. Stop talking like you’re dying.” Keith snapped. He looked to the sky hoping to see the Black Lion approaching. Lance coughed again cried out as his wound was jolted. The pool of blood underneath Lance continued to grow despite Keith’s best efforts to stop the bleeding.

“I’ve always loved you, you know.” Lance wheezed. Keith’s heart sped up.

“Stop talking. The blood loss is making you confused.” He felt like he was trying to swallow a large ball. Deep down he knew that all his efforts to preserve Lance’s life were in vain. No one would come to save them in time. The Red and Blue Lions were too far away and all of their first aid supplies were on those lions. He cursed his uselessness.

“Even back in the Garrison. I loved you.” Lance continued. “I was sad when you dropped out. Thought I was never going to see you again.”

 

_ One of these days, it won't be long _

_ You'll call my name and I'll be gone _

_ Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well _

__

“Stop it. Shut up!” Keith cried. His voice breaking and the tears flooding out as he openly sobbed. “You don’t know what you’re saying.” Keith wanted to cover his ears with his hands and scream until Lance stopped saying such confusing things, but he couldn’t, and Lance just continued to watch him. His eyes gentle and sad. Like a man who's made peace with death and is just trying to say everything he can before it's too late. 

“I love you Mullet Head.” He whispered before his eyes drifted shut and he went limp. The last of Keith’s calmness burned away as panic took its place.

“No. No. Nononononnonononono!” He whimpered. He felt around at Lance’s throat for a pulse but found none. In desperation, he placed his ear to Lance’s chest. He was met with only silence. Keith had failed Lance. Had lied to him in his final moments, and refused to hear his last words. Keith sobbed as he slowly stopped trying to keep Lance’s blood inside. What was the point, the Blue Paladin wouldn’t need it anymore anyway.

“Why?!” Keith yelled. He threw back his head and screamed. “Why! Why him! He didn’t deserve this! This was my fault! I’m the one who messed up! I should be the one who has to pay, not him! Lance didn’t deserve any of this!” Keith wasn’t sure who or what he was screaming his pain at, but he continued to do so until his throat was raw and he was shivering from the cold. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair.

There was a sound to his left. Keith could tell it was more Galra but he didn’t care. If they wanted to kill him they could. The Galra approached him almost hesitantly. Like they sympathized with Keith but orders were orders.

Keith didn’t care if he died but he couldn’t let them touch Lance’s body. The thought of them treating Lance like a prized elk they had just killed made him feel sick. Keith looked around for his Bayard. It was laying a foot away from him, covered in Glara blood and mud from this godforsaken planet. He scooped it up and charged at the enemy. A pain filled battle cry ripping from his throat.

Each stroke of his sword was backed with all his pain and anger. Tears streamed down his face as Keith took out enemy after enemy. There was one Galra left when Keith took a sword slash across his chest. He bellowed in pain and speared his sword through the enemy's throat. Blood splashed over him as he yanked his sword out. With the final soldier down Keith collapsed to his knees, chest heaving. He pressed a hand to his chest to stem the bleeding but the cut was too deep and too long to properly cover. Keith’s head spun as caught his breath. He looked over at Lance’s body. It lay not far from where Keith had fallen. Despite his sore and trembling muscles, Keith pulled himself towards Lance.

When he reached him, he collapsed and rolled over onto his back. “I miss you already, you know.” He whispered to Lance.  Keith pulled himself up and leaned over Lance’s slack face. Fresh tears fell down his cheeks. “I loved you too.” He wept as he leaned down and gently kissed Lance’s cold lips.  As Keith curled up against Lance’s side he saw a faint black shape soaring across the sky towards them. Slowly blackness crept into the edges of his vision as he let the warm rain wash over him. He relaxed into Lance as he closes his eyes.

So what if the rescue team arrives too late. Keith doesn’t want to live if Lance isn’t there by his side, cracking jokes and teasing him about his hair. Keith sighs in relief as his vision fades and with it so too does that godforsaken planet.

 

_ Fare thee well _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Also, please check out my other works as well. The song that inspired this fic is a cover of Fare Thee Well by Rob Benedict.


End file.
